BRADENTON, Fla. — You may have noticed NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Hailie Deegan wasn't present at the Freedom 500 in Bradenton.
The racing standout posted to social media ahead of race day saying her absence was due to dealing with something on the "personal safety side" that she and her boyfriend Chase Cabre had "to get handled."
But now Deegan is pulling back to curtain to reveal more of the story in a 15 minute YouTube video titled "Our Lives Are Being Threatened..."
In the video, Deegan says she was "bummed" she couldn't attend the Freedom 500 but that her boyfriend has been receiving death threats from a man who is stalking her. That same man, Deegan says, is also being "catfished" by an account pretending to be her.
While Deegan says she has been aware of the unnamed man's comments before, things escalated when an eight-page, handwritten letter was sent to her truck racing team from the man saying he was "infatuated" with Deegan and that she was his "soulmate."
The man is also accused by Deegan of being behind threatening messages and mentions sent to Cabre on social media.
"I kind of scared me a little bit because I've dealt with stalker situations before. People being obsessive over me and actually taking action on it," Deegan said in the video.
According to Deegan, the man making the threats lives near their North Carolina home and race shop.
"It makes me uncomfortable. It makes me scared. You shouldn't be scared at your own house," she said in the video.
Deegan and Cabre both say the police have been contacted about the situation; and they're doing what they can to manage it, but it's been a challenge.
"I'm over it. I'm completely over this," Deegan said in the video.
In a call to action, Cabre pleaded with the man to stop the threats saying: "If you are watching this video right now, please stop. Please, like seriously, just stop it."
